The invention relates to the discovery and asexual propagation of a new and distinct variety of kiwifruit, Actinidia chinensis ‘ZESY002’, as herein described and illustrated. The new kiwifruit variety ‘ZESY002’ was selected from a population of seedlings derived from crossing two kiwifruit selections 51-18-15i.97 (maternal; not patented) and 51-18-20j.97 (paternal; not patented) in the course of a planned kiwifruit variety breeding program. The cross was made in November 2000 at Te Puke, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. The new variety was selected as 13-15-14g.02 and has been named ‘ZESY002’.
The new kiwifruit variety ‘ZESY002’ may be distinguished from presently available Actinidia cultivars by the following distinguishing characteristics:
The fruit of the new kiwifruit variety ‘ZESY002’ mature earlier than those of ‘Hort16A’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,066).
‘ZESY002’ produce much larger fruit than those of ‘Hort16A’ and also produce more flowers.
The fruit shape at the stylar end of the new variety ‘ZESY002’ is blunt with a slight indentation compared with that of ‘Hort16A’, which extends into a characteristic ‘beak’.
The flesh of the new kiwifruit variety ‘ZESY002’ fruit is yellow in color (similar to ‘Hort16A’) when ripe for consumption, compared with ‘Hayward’, which is green in color.
‘ZESY002’ is tetraploid compared with ‘Hort16A’, which is diploid.
‘ZESY002’ is distinguished from its maternal parent (51-18-15i.97) by characteristics including the time of harvest; ‘ZESY002’ requires approximately six weeks longer to accumulate 10% soluble solids.
‘ZESY002’ is distinguished from its paternal parent (51-18-20j.97) as it is a female fruit bearing kiwifruit variety whereas 51-18-20j.97 is a male non-fruit baring kiwifruit.
Asexual propagation of the new kiwifruit variety ‘ZESY002’, in Te Puke, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, by grafting shows that the unique combination of characteristics of the variety come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagation. In order to obtain true-to-type clones of the initial plant, asexually propagated plants were obtained by grafting dormant buds from the original seedling onto rootstocks.